If you’re like most people, you want to start your own website, but lack the time or expertise to do it yourself.
The solution? Using an online builder can save you time and hassle while giving you all the control over your design and content that you need to make it a success.
But with so many website builders out there, how do you know which one is right for you?
To help you pick the perfect platform, we’ve put together this guide of 10 questions to ask before choosing your website builder. Let’s get started!
1) What budget do I have?
A developer-made website will most likely cost more than a simple DIY site, and that’s OK. You’ll want to set aside enough money for a developer who can give you exactly what you want.
A good target is $2,000-$3,000; don’t go lower than that.
Another option is to opt for a pre-built theme (for $25+ or free with ads) and then hire someone on Fiverr or Odesk to add in features not included with your site.
2) How many pages do I need?
It might seem obvious, but do you need a full website or just a simple landing page? It's not just about how many pages you want in total.
Your business will likely have different pages depending on what stage it is at and what marketing campaigns are active. Depending on these factors, you may even find that landing pages work best for certain periods and full sites work better for others.
Be sure to think carefully about these details when choosing a platform. Otherwise, there's a chance your new site won't be used as much as it could be. (See also: 15 Tips for Choosing an Affordable Web Developer)
3) Do I want a drag-and-drop editor?
All WYSIWYG (What You See Is What You Get) editors are not created equal. Some allow users to make changes with a simple click of a button, while others require technical knowledge.
If you don’t have coding experience and just want an easy way to customize your site's appearance, stick with one that has a drag-and-drop editor, such as Friday, Weebly, or Squarespace.
The more complicated or powerful program builders get, however, like Craft CMS or WordPress, for example; If it’s what you’re after—you may be better off choosing another type of site builder entirely! Some won't allow for photo galleries or other fancy features.
4) Do I want an agency license or a self-hosted version?
Generally, we recommend self-hosted versions over hosted ones. It means that you need to host it on your own web server. However, if you don’t have a server or web hosting account, then a hosted version might be easier for beginners and cost less.
For example, Wix is a great hosted option with some of their best plans starting at $4 per month (all plans include a free domain).
In comparison, if you want an agency license for Squarespace then it would cost around $25 per month depending on how many websites you want to create (domains aren’t included). Most people will need more than one site so paying extra every month adds up quickly.
5) Do I want basic SEO features?
If you’re just getting started and aren’t sure if building a website is something you want to pursue in a serious way, look for a platform that offers basic SEO features.
These are simple things like title tags and meta descriptions that help search engines crawl and understand your content. If your plans include expanding past an initial hobbyist site, invest in a platform with more advanced SEO tools; it will be worth it later.
Do I need Ecommerce?: Are you planning on selling products or services on your site? If so, make sure whatever website builder you pick has e-commerce capabilities because most do not come with those functions built-in.
6) Do I want advanced SEO features?
Features that help you optimize your site for search engines are invaluable, but if they're not something you know how to use, they may just end up being time wasters.
If SEO isn't a major concern for you, don't pick a builder with advanced SEO tools. If it is something you're interested in learning more about later on down the road, go ahead and get a more robust solution from day one.
That way, if and when it does become important for your business or personal site, at least you've got some experience using these features so that it's less of an uphill battle.
7) Will I customize my site beyond building it myself?
A lot of DIY builders allow for an acceptable level of customization, but some are extremely limited.
For example, Wix and Weebly will let you swap out a handful of templates if you want something different, but Friday, Squarespace, and WordPress will let you customize almost everything—backgrounds, fonts, even PHP code.
If you think you might want to make extensive changes later on down the line—or if you plan on hiring outside help in the future—make sure your site lets users tinker with a lot more than just templates. (Wordpress is always a good choice here.)
8) Is support included in my plan?
Support is an important part of using any piece of software. With so many features, it’s not always easy to know where your site can run into problems and what you should do about it.
Many services offer free support for basic functions (and often are able to help with common issues), but if you need more help or advanced customization, that can come at a cost.
In addition, some services will allow only one or two people in your organization to work on coding and editing pages; other plans will have no limit on the number of users who can work on building pages, as well as who can log in via a browser.
9) What kinds of templates do they offer?
Websites come in all shapes and sizes, so it’s important that a web builder offers templates that are suitable for different kinds of businesses.
That said unless you’re already working with a designer, picking out templates will be one of your first tasks. Some builders give customers no control over site designs whatsoever; others let users tweak elements like fonts and colors but don’t allow anything more advanced than that.
Be sure to look through multiple templates before committing—and then hold off on actual design decisions until after speaking with a professional web designer.
When choosing which template(s) best fits your needs, consider what kind of business you have and whether or not it matches any of their existing themes or designs.
10) Who will use the site after me, and how flexible does it need to be?
We have used Friday for various clients. While it is not fully customizable for a design or development project if you are looking for a simple solution and aren’t sure how often or by whom it will be used, Friday might be just what you need.
There are quite a few templates available, making it easy to set up a new site quickly. The drag-and-drop functionality is also one of its benefits.
However, Friday does allow some level of HTML customization, and its ability to make edits once pages have been published means that it’s probably best suited on your site and can stay permanently.
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